I have a Tantric panel

"ceremony."

Xia En carefully pondered this sentence.

This means that the stars on stage are very clear about what they are doing.

The theater on Elm Street was chosen in a special way;

The scene from "Phantom in the Mist" was specifically chosen;

And... specially invited audience members?

"Drama can also be a ritual."

Hugh gazed at the stage and spoke softly:

"Through lines and physical movements, actors draw in the ether in the air and resonate with the things behind the curtain."

"You can think of it as her calling out to the other side of the curtain, and whatever hears her call will respond and come to this side."

Xia En listened very attentively, not daring to miss a single word.

Behind the curtain, knowledge itself is power.

Yuge's willingness to impart this knowledge to him was both an act of goodwill and a form of assessment.

To assess whether he is qualified to go further.

"Then this film, *Phantom in the Mist*..."

"Yes."

Yu Ge nodded, confirming Xia En's guess.

"The script for this play was written by a true master."

"To the average person, this is just a dramatic and suspenseful play."

"But in reality, it was specifically designed to deal with the remnants of the [White Night Miasma]."

Xia En seemed to be deep in thought.

"Remnants of the 【White Night Miasma】?"

Every step leaves a trace.

Yu Ge's voice was very soft, as if he was afraid of disturbing something.

"Even if the source of a special disaster like this is eliminated, it will still leave some traces, or rather, it is another way of history."

"The most common way to deal with these traces is to seal them off."

Upon hearing this, Xia En suddenly realized.

The Elm Street Theater is part of this seal.

It stands on the original site of the disaster area, covering the past history and burying the hidden truth.

However, there was still one thing Xia En couldn't understand.

Since there is already a seal, why actively call upon what is behind the veil through "Phantom in the Mist"?

Yu Ge quickly provided an explanation.

"Ordinary traces will naturally fade and disappear after a period of time following the sealing."

"But the [White Night Miasma] is different; its remnants are not limited to this one place, and its influence is far more profound and lasting."

The man lowered his eyes and gazed wistfully at the stage.

"Those things...they're caught in the gap between reality and the veil."

"If left unattended, it will accumulate more and more—like sewage in a sewer pipe, which will eventually burst the pipe."

"Through the ritual, some of the 'sewage' can be treated in advance, reducing the burden on the pipeline."

Xia En understood instantly.

in other words.

Rather than waiting for the residue to overflow on its own, it's better to use this ritual to actively draw it out and eliminate it.

Gentler and safer.

This can be considered as reinforcing the seal in another way.

Immediately, a new question arose in my mind—

Uncle Yu, how do you know so much?

Xia En glanced at the female stars on stage, then looked at Yu Ge.

"Uncle Hugh, are you... someone Miss Freya invited?"

"Oh no, to be more precise, you are a witness to this ceremony."

Yu Ge's eyes lit up.

"Go on."

"This box is special, not only because of its good location, but more importantly, because it faces the stage directly."

Xia En slowly revealed his guess.

"We can see Freya, and she can see us too."

"Moreover, throughout the conversation just now, your gaze never left the stage."

"At the same time, you're not a theatergoer—for a while after the opening, you didn't look at the stage until the figures appeared, at which point you started to watch."

He gave his conclusion.

"I think you are ensuring the safety of this ceremony and that it is conducted under supervision."

"If the ritual gets out of control and Miss Freya asks for help, you can intervene immediately."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Ge smiled.

The smile was one of appreciation and satisfaction, as if looking at an unpolished gem.

"You guessed right."

Yu Ge straightened his chest and said in a tone tinged with a hint of pride:

"Knox is synonymous with the night."

"Our Knox family has been the Night's Watch in the capital for generations."

The Night Watchman.

This answer matches my previous thoughts.

The Knox family likely has close ties with the imperial authorities, standing in the shadows, protecting the peace of the capital.

"Our family has declined."

Yu Ge's sigh was tinged with helplessness.

"Due to the decline of offspring and the changing times, the old Night's Watchmen have disappeared into the night, and it has been difficult to replace them with new ones."

"For clansmen who don't have that talent, like your father, the family often doesn't tell them the truth—it's a form of protection."

"The more ordinary people know, the more likely they are to become unhappy."

Xia En gleaned a lot from this statement.

The Knox family has fallen on hard times.

But the foundation is still there.

The legacy remains, and the network of connections and relationships is still there.

What's truly lacking are talented family members, or "new blood."

Therefore, even members of collateral bloodlines like Xia En are valued by the family.

Specifically, this manifests as...

Upon seeing the photo in the newspaper, Hugh immediately extended an invitation.

After a brief probing, I decisively revealed the truth.

This situation is advantageous to Shane.

However, he remembered that the principles of the Secret History seemed to correspond to the Path of Secrecy.

Should I embark on this path?

Xia En didn't want to make a decision so quickly.

at the same time.

The performance on stage was gradually approaching its climax.

Neither of them spoke again, and they focused their attention back on the performance.

Freya stood in the center of the stage, barefoot, her skirt soaked with sweat.

Her breathing was rapid and shallow, her chest heaving.

In the surrounding mist, the shadows seemed to solidify, as if they had crossed an invisible boundary.

The contours of her face were exactly the same as Freya's.

Looking at them, Freya smiled instead.

She sang loudly.

"I've been waiting for you to show your face."

"You actually used it—did you really think I'd be afraid of myself?"

She took a step forward.

The fog receded at her feet, as if forced back by something invisible.

"You told me I wasn't good enough, told me every song I sang was garbage, told me I didn't deserve to be loved, told me this fog was my whole world."

"I thought it was real, I thought it was my voice."

"But tonight—"

She raised her hand and pointed to the human-shaped chest.

"I finally heard you clearly."

"That's not my voice, that's yours."

"Tonight, let me break free of all my shackles!"

With each line Freya uttered, the shadow in the mist faded a little more.

It felt like being slashed by a sharp weapon.

In Shane's eyes, Freya was no longer an actress, but a valiant Valkyrie.

Her lines are her weapon, her performance is her armor.

She stood in the center of the stage, under the watchful eyes of the audience, fiercely battling the shadows behind the curtains—until one side was completely annihilated.

Shaun saw no fear on Freya's face.

Yes, it was merely the excitement and desire for battle.

Needless to say.

She is a sharp blade, attempting to conquer all things in the world.

Soon, the several shadows in the mist were cleaved into pieces, leaving not a trace.

The atmosphere in the theater gradually stabilized.

Under the spotlight, Freya bowed to the audience.

The curtain slowly closed.

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted and lasted for a long time.

Xia En and Yu Ge were also clapping.

"What a show."

"Who can argue with that?"